<p>I just got a likely letter from Dartmouth and am really excited. I plan on doing bioengineering or biomedical and going into research. I also got a likely from Duke engineering. </p>
<p>Can any current or former engineering students give me an opinion on how good the research opportunities are at Dartmouth? </p>
<p>Also, how would the experience be different from the Duke BME program?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>As a former Dartmouth engineer (i graduated) with quite a few friends who did BME type work, research opportunities at Dartmouth and at Thayer, especially, research as an undergrad is exceptionally easy to come by. Dartmouth profs are at the forefront of their fields and are expected to publish (especially in the sciences/engg). Still, there are relatively few grad students in sci/engg departments, so there are always projects to help on for undergrads, and there are always opportunities for senior thesis research.</p>
<p>My best friend from HS was a Duke BME major. His experiences were largely similar, though he had larger classes and it was harder for him to find research opportunities. It seemed more limited based on GPA/class performance. That said, at pretty much any research university, if you are a good student with interest in finding research opportunities, you’ll find them. Professors always need somebody to do their research grunt work.</p>
<p>I sent you a PM asdf22.</p>
<p>The major difference is this: your Dartmouth education will be a traditional liberal arts experience (even if you major in engineering sciences) where your Duke Pratt School of Engineering education will result in a bachelor of science in engineering degree. Pursuing a liberal arts degree and an engineering degree result in very, very, very different collegiate experiences… make sure you look at the degree requirements for each school before you make your decision and choose the path that is right for you. (If you want to get a bachelor of science in engineering from Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering, you will likely have to take an extra year of classes.) Congratulations on having such a wonderful dilemma.</p>
<p>^ So you’re saying that Duke vs. Dartmouth engineering educations are “very, very, very different” experiences. How so?</p>
<p>I have recently talked to an advisor and based on my classes I will be able to finish the biomedical AB and BE in 4 years while completing all pre-med requirements (I was able to place out of a few courses, though). So it is a possibility, but many students take an extra quarter up to another year, depending on when they decided their major. So definitely keep in mind that you may have to stay on for a 13th or 14th quarter, that you need to complete a wide variety of distributive requirements (“distribs”), and that you will need to look at classes early! Engineering definitely has a reputation for being a tough major (at many colleges!) and one of the great things about Dartmouth engineering is the vast number of research opportunities there are for students in all classes.</p>
<p>I was debating between Dartmouth and Duke for a while, so I know that Duke has an excellent BME program! I would consider looking into courses at both schools and then considering the two options. If you have any specific questions about the BE at Dartmouth, let me know!</p>